The X-blade Express
by cmsully
Summary: (could-be canon for 'The X-blade Wielder' universe) It's Christmas Eve, and the Polar Express is fulfilling its duty of carrying lucky children to the North Pole. However, this year it has four additional passengers- none other than Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Heavyn! While Heavyn is happily living her childhood dream, will the others manage to survive all of the hijinks that ensue?
1. Chapter 1

*I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Polar Express, or any of their characters

* * *

><p>Four Keyblade Wielders were flying through the space separating each of the many worlds out there in the universe, commonly known as the Lanes Between. While ordinarily this would be nothing of note (beyond the fact that they were Keyblade Wielders)… each of these four was very special in their own way.<p>

The male wearing red, silver, and gold armor was known as Sora, a rather happy-go-lucky fellow. Whenever his armor was off, he could be instantly identified by his spiky brown hair and his blue eyes. He was special not only for saving the worlds at least twice, but unbeknownst to him he had at least three others sleeping within his heart (although one was starting to stir… but that's a story for another time). His Keyblade was known as the Kingdom Key, and when it was in glider form he rode it similar to how people ride skateboards.

The female wearing pink, gold, and silver armor was called Kairi, a blue-eyed red-head who was kind to almost everyone she met (excluding those who could be classified under 'villain'… but even then, she was not as harsh as some people would be) yet never afraid to speak her mind. Her Keyblade was called Destiny's Embrace, and its glider form forced its rider to take up a position similar to water-skiing. Kairi was special not only for being the love-interest of Sora (which was definitely returned- it was obvious to all but Sora and Kairi, to everyone's amusement), but for also being one of the Seven Princesses of Heart- the only seven beings throughout the _entire_ universe who could truthfully claim that they had no darkness in their hearts.

That claim certainly couldn't be borne by the male in the simple silver and black armor, who also happened to be the tallest of the four. Riku, however, had finally found a way to use the darkness in his heart (which was greater than it should have been, thanks to the actions of certain individuals… however, that's a story that has already been told) as a valid weapon for the realm of Light to the point where he was considered to be in the direct center of Light and Darkness… the silverette with striking turquoise eyes called his path the road to dawn. Oddly enough, his Keyblade (which, when in glider mode, bore an odd similarity to a motorcycle) was called Way to the Dawn. He was the one who had been through the most (except for maybe Sora, and even then that was up for debate), and the two best friends were the only ones within the group to have earned the title of Keyblade Master.

Finally, there was the female clad in purple, silver, and black armor. While the previous three had all been childhood friends back on a world known as Destiny Islands, Heavyn Lee had only recently been inducted into the group. She had actually come from a planet called Earth, where the adventures of her three friends had been recorded into a series of videogames (and yes, she had been a die-hard fan). However, there was no doubt that her role was one of great importance, now. For she, and she alone, was the chosen wielder of the X-blade. When the purple-eyed ravenette had an unexpected meeting with one who she had only known as a character from said videogames, she had been drawn into the adventure of a lifetime. It had only been when Heavyn placed herself between Kairi and a Heartless, however, that she had gained the only Keyblade that could unlock Kingdom Hearts… and what a surprise that blade had turned out to be for her. With the ability to talk and connect minds, along with other powers that the blade itself hinted at, the X-blade had not only became her weapon- it had become a true friend. Its glider form looked oddly like a Segway… however, Heavyn didn't care (but, then again, she had a secret fondness for Segways).

Anyway, as the four Keyblade Wielders flew through the Lanes Between, each of them were keeping an eye out for one of the many worlds that existed throughout the universe. Sure enough…

"Guys, to the left!"

Upon hearing Kairi's cry, the other three promptly swung their heads towards the indicated direction. Soon, they saw what she had seen- a world was within sight.

"Should we check it out?" inquired Heavyn, noticing that it wasn't one of the five Fragment Worlds that she needed to visit to further understand her abilities and role as the X-blade Wielder.

"Why not?" responded Riku, "After all, we should make sure that the Heartless and the Unversed haven't thrust that world into chaos."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Sora enthusiastically, speeding off towards the world.

As the other three followed him, the X-blade asked amusedly, "He'll never change, will he?"

"No," Kairi giggled, "But then he wouldn't be the Sora we know and love!"

"True dat!" came Heavyn's cheeky reply. At this, Riku bust out laughing, unable to argue with either of the girls' statements.

Pausing in front of the world, Sora turned his head towards his approaching friends as he asked, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," came the simultaneous response as the others also paused in front of the world. Together, the four friends studied the world, experience telling them that the world's outward appearance gave a hint as to what might await them upon landing.

The world seemed to be divided into two parts, with a town that gave off the feeling of sleep on the bottom half and a town filled with bright lights and excitement upon the top. Bridging the two towns was a train that circled between the two. However, it was the crowning jewel of the top town that filled the four teens with excitement. It was a giant Christmas tree, one whose magnificence was pretty hard to beat… and that could only mean one thing (well, at least to one person…).

"Christmas Town! Aw man, I can't WAIT to show you that Santa's real, Riku!" cried out Sora excitedly.

Looking closer, Riku immediately interrupted, "Wait, Sora… I don't think this is Christmas Town."

"Huh? What do you mean, of course it is!"

"I think Riku's right, Sora… I mean, if this is Christmas Town, then why are the buildings of a different style?" interjected Heavyn. "Plus, was there a train like that one back at the Christmas Town you knew?"

Looking back at the world, Sora soon saw what they meant, filling him with dismay. "Aw, man… so, no Santa?"

"I didn't say that," Heavyn replied. "However, we can't exactly dismiss the possibility."

Upon seeing Sora's bowed head, Kairi soothed, "Well, Sora, there's only one way to find out if this world has Santa…"

"Let's go visit!" added the X-blade.

As Sora straightened his head, the others could literally _feel_ the excitement starting to once again radiate from their upbeat friend. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Right!" responded the other three. Together, the four sped off into the world.

"Um… where are we?" Riku asked as he glanced around.

The other three shrugged as they, too, studied their surroundings, which were… oddly empty. Surrounding the four Keyblade Wielders was nothing but a snow-covered plain, lit only by a subdued sunset.

"I dunno," answered Heavyn as she spun in place, hoping to see at least _some_ sort of indication as to what world they had landed on. "And to be honest… it's kinda freaking me out."

"Plus, it's really cold!" Kairi added as she started to rub her bare arms. Everyone in the group immediately felt pity for the red-head, for out of all of them her outfit was the one that was the least suitable for cold weather (which had been no big deal on most worlds… however, Heavyn suspected that Kairi would mentally made a note to at least buy a jacket whenever the group returned to either Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, or Destiny Islands- she knew for a fact that the first two, at least, had jackets that would withstand the craziness that was a Keyblade Wielder's life, and Destiny Islands of course would have Kairi's favorite store).

Sora, in a chivalrous gesture, moved to take his jacket off of his shoulders in order to give it to the poor Princess of Light (to which Heavyn had to restrain a squee- she still didn't know _why_ those two hadn't made any attempts to further their relationship to beyond friends already), however before it even went past his elbows suddenly he was interrupted by something unexpected.

A loud whistle pierced through the air, making all four jump with surprise.

"What the…" Heavyn started before suddenly a light appeared in the distance. Together, the four studied the newest addition to their surroundings, all of them confused as to what it could be… especially when it seemed to be getting bigger. The loud whistle suddenly pierced through the air, along with a faint chugging sound.

It was the X-blade who connected the dots when suddenly it inquired, "Wasn't one of the features of this world a train?" Comically, the four humans' eyes widened when the light finally dawned.

"Aw, snap!" shouted Heavyn.

Sora cried out, "To the left!"

As one, the four dived towards the left- and just in time, for ten seconds after they had done so, the train sped over their previous position… then suddenly slowed to a stop.

Standing back up, Kairi wondered aloud, "Why did it stop?"

Riku only shrugged his shoulders as the rest of them managed to stand up as well.

"All aboard!" a voice suddenly cried.

All of the Keyblade Wielders turned towards the voice. Standing next to the train was what had to be the conductor, and he was looking rather impatient.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "Well, are any of you supposed Keyblade Wielders coming? We have a lot of pickups this year, so we need to get going!"

Four jaws dropped upon hearing that statement. Walking towards the conductor, Kairi was the one to ask, "How did you know we were Keyblade Wielders?"

"Why, the big man himself told me," came the answer.

"The big man?" inquired Riku as he and Heavyn shared a confused glance.

"You know, Santa."

"SANTA?!" cried Sora excitedly, pumping his fist with triumph. "YES! I _knew_ that Santa had to be on this world, too!"

Chuckling, the conductor remarked, "I'm guessing you're Sora, huh?"

"Yep, that's him," responded the X-blade, appearing in Heavyn's hand.

Jumping slightly with surprise at the sound of the X-blade's voice, the conductor soon gathered himself as he turned towards the spiky-haired Keyblade Master. "I was told to give you this message: 'I am not the Santa you met in Christmas Town.'"

Confusion filled Sora's face upon hearing the message. "Wait, what does _that_ mean?"

"Beats me," the conductor shrugged. "Maybe he can tell you more once we reach the North Pole… which we can't get to while we're standing around here. We need to get going if we're to make it to the North Pole on time!"

"Wait, so are you implying that this train goes to the North Pole?" inquired Riku.

Oddly enough, it was Heavyn who spoke next. "Don't tell me… this the Polar Express?!" she breathed as she looked towards the train with an increasing amount of wonder and awe filling her face.

Smiling, the conductor replied, "Yes, ma'am, this is indeed the Polar Express!"

Heavyn promptly squealed with excitement, to the confusion of her three friends who couldn't understand her excitement. Seeing this, she explained, "I've always wanted to ride on the Polar Express, ever since my mother read me the story back when I was a kid!"

"Well, then hurry up and get on!" ordered the conductor impatiently. "The Polar Express has never been late, and I intend to keep it that way!"

Needing no further encouragement, the four Keyblade Wielders promptly climbed on board (Heavyn led the way by practically bounding onto the train), with the conductor close behind. As soon as all five were safely on board, the Polar Express started to move once more.

* * *

><p>AN: So, I decided to post this story as a X-mas treat to all of you who are still loyal fans of 'The X-blade Wielder' even after all this time- and yes, I WILL be buckling down on the next chapter of 'The X-blade Wielder' as soon as Christmas is over! In the meantime, though, please enjoy a ride on the Polar Express!


	2. Chapter 2

*I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Polar Express, or any of their characters.

* * *

><p>As the Polar Express made its way towards the lucky children who would be given the incredible honor of riding the magical train, the conductor (who told the Keyblade Wielders that they could call him Chris) explained what he wanted the four to do- apparently, Santa had been worried for the children's safety thanks to the Unversed and Heartless running free across the worlds, and requested that the Keyblade Wielders take up certain posts on the train in order to ensure that no harm came to them (to which they agreed, Heavyn more eagerly than the others).<p>

Kairi had chosen to monitor the back of the train including the caboose, Riku had insisted on guarding the engine (according to Sora, who had clued Heavyn in via the X-blade's connection, Riku had been obsessed with trains when the two of them had been very young), Sora wanted to wander about the passenger cars, and Heavyn was left with accompanying Chris all around his duties, including picking up the lucky children who were given the chance to ride.

It was also agreed by the four Keyblade Wielders that unless danger from the Heartless or the Unversed truly presented itself, they should not summon their Keyblades. At this, the X-blade protested slightly, however when Riku mentioned that the kids would more than likely either freak out or get _way_ too excited at them suddenly summoning strange weapons, it reluctantly agreed. However, it insisted that in return they would keep it in the loop as to what would be going on in each of their posts so that Heavyn could be there to help in case danger _did_ show up.

"Well, this ride is going to be even more interesting than I thought it would be," commented Heavyn silently to the others as she watched the latest passenger, a certain spectacled boy with yellow pajamas and a nasally-sounding voice, boarding the Polar Express.

Riku was the first to respond from his post at the front of the train with the very simple, yet very apt question of, "Why?"

"Because I recognize the kid that just came on- he's the annoying know-it-all from the movie adaptation of the book," was the answer as Heavyn once more followed Chris onto the train.

There was a universal groan upon the announcement that a know-it-all just boarded the train. Then, "So, are you saying that you're familiar with this particular train ride, then?" came Sora's question.

"Yep. So, the key people to keep an eye out for are a little black girl wearing a pink nightgown, a boy wearing a blue robe with one of its pockets torn and yellow pajamas, and the little boy named Billy who'll be the last one to board the train. In particular, you'll want to keep an eye on the boy with the blue robe. The know-it-all, as well, will occasionally pop up, but he's not as important as those three."

"Wait, why do you mention Billy by name and not the others?" inquired Kairi.

"Quite simply, they never revealed their names. In fact, I had no idea that the conductor's name was Chris until he told us so."

"That's weird!" exclaimed Sora and the X-blade simultaneously.

"I know, but in the movie it worked. Now, let's get back to our scheduled guarding."

* * *

><p>"Well, you coming?"<p>

Heavyn watched with a small smile as the boy who had been the star of the movie asked, "Where?" She tuned out as Chris went into his famous speech, and instead informed the others that the boy she had told them about was about to get on. When she registered their acknowledgement of this fact, the ravenette turned her attention back towards Chris and the boy.

Chris was leaning towards the boy as he suggested, "If I were you, I would think about climbing on board." Heavyn blinked in shock, for she hadn't realized that her mental conversation had taken that long if she had missed that much of Chris' speech.

It was at this point that reality deviated from the movie when the boy asked, "Why?"

Hearing this, Heavyn decided to help Chris to move things along by placing a hand on her hip and replying, "I think the true question here should be, 'Why not?'"

Turning toward her, the boy looked surprised at her response. Heavyn, however, didn't let him respond as she continued, "You're unsure that Santa exists. Understandable, considering that there's considerable evidence suggesting that he doesn't. However, as you deciding whether or not to climb onboard, ask yourself this- would you like to know for sure one way or the other? Because if you climb onboard this train, I can _personally_ guarantee you that you will find the answer to that question."

The boy stared at her for several seconds. "This will remove all doubt?" he finally questioned her.

Nodding, Heavyn responded, "It will."

Cautiously, the boy said, "Alright then, I'll guess I'll come."

"Splendid! Now, hurry up and get on! We've a schedule to keep, and if we're going to make it to the North Pole on time then we need to get moving!" came Chris' voice.

As the boy moved towards the train, Heavyn stepped aside and gestured towards where he could climb on. "After you!"

Climbing on, the boy paused for a moment as he turned towards her. "What's your name?" he inquired.

"It's Heavyn," she replied. "What's yours?"

"… Daryl."

Smiling, Heavyn greeted, "It's very nice to meet you, Daryl. Now, let's find you a seat."

* * *

><p>"Someone <em>please<em> save me from my torment! That know-it-all is just _awful_!" cried Sora through the connection five minutes later, as all of the children onboard were gazing at the decorated windows of the store called Herpolsheimer's.

As Heavyn tried her hardest not to laugh at the overdramatic plea, the X-blade responded with amusement, "Well, Sora, you _did_ want to be with the kids…"

"Yeah, but that was before the know-it-all kid came on!"

"Suck it up, Sora, you've been through worse," admonished Riku. "Need I remind you of Maleficent? Her rants on how she's the mistress of all evil, her insistence on trying to possess Kingdom Hearts…"

"Okay, okay, I get it, sheesh," Sora relented.

Heavyn finally lost the battle with herself and snickered just as she and Chris walked into the same car as Sora. When Sora gave her a mock glare as Chris started to punch tickets, she stuck her tongue out at him causing several of the children to giggle at her antics (including Daryl and the little girl that Heavyn informed the others about- Sora was the one who found out that her name was Nona).

Ignoring the childish antics of the two Keyblade Wielders, Chris finally made his way towards the microphone at the front of the car (even though she had heard the official term for it many times, Heavyn _still_ couldn't remember what it was called). Activating it, he announced, "Next stop, 11344 Edbrooke."

"Is this the last stop?" Sora asked Heavyn lowly as the know-it-all kid commented in the background about how they were heading for the other side of the tracks.

Nodding, Heavyn made sure Riku and Kairi were listening as well before she answered silently, "Yes, this is Billy's house. If things happen like they did in the movie, then everyone be prepared for unexpected stops." Hearing their acknowledgement, she then prepared to accompany Chris on his last pick-up of the night.

* * *

><p>"Show offs," Sora muttered good-naturedly as he and Heavyn were pressed against the wall while the waiters, chefs, and (to Sora's surprise) Chris made a huge spectacle out of serving cups of hot chocolate. The X-blade, highly entertained by it all, made sure to pass the image onto Riku and Kairi, who were stuck at their posts.<p>

As the other two Islanders shared Sora's opinion, Heavyn merely smiled and drank from her cup. Personally, she was impressed seeing the show in person- the movie _definitely_ didn't have the same quality of dancing as the real life waiters did.

* * *

><p>By this point, Heavyn was feeling sorry for poor Sora. As she accompanied Chris and Nona on their way to the engine (reassuring Nona that nothing bad would happen to her along the way), she could feel the Keyblade Master's exasperation at Daryl's good-natured antics upon finding Nona's missing ticket.<p>

"Kairi, would you mind terribly keeping an eye on the kids while Sora chases after Daryl?" she requested silently.

Curiosity filled the connection as Kairi replied, "Sure… do you know where they're going?"

"Onto the roof of the train."

"Oka- WHAT?!"

Heavyn thought she could faintly hear Kairi yelling at Daryl and Sora to stop over the noise of the train itself… although that was probably thanks to the X-blade, who despite not being summoned yet was having _way_ too much fun with this train ride. It wasn't every day, after all, that you got to see Sora being handed a taste of his own medicine by some random kid.

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Daryl cried as he suddenly slipped.<p>

Sora was once again grateful for his trained reflexes as he grabbed onto the boy's robe, preventing him from falling off of the roof of the train. While he was thankful that Kairi (after realizing that she wasn't going to be able to stop Daryl- the boy, when performing a task, was surprisingly single-minded about reaching his goal) was taking over his post while he was up here following the kid, he still didn't like the fact that he had to burden her in such a way.

"We need to go back! It's not safe for you up here!" he said loudly to Daryl.

Shaking his head, the boy replied, "I can't! I have to return her ticket before she gets off the train!"

Closing his eyes, Sora silently prayed that he wasn't normally this bad when it came to saving someone (he ignored the little voice inside his head insisting that he was, indeed, that bad- after all, it sounded suspiciously like the X-blade). Finally opening them, he relented, "Alright, but I _will_ be accompanying you until I'm positive you will be safe, understand? Also, when we return her ticket you are to wait until Chris—"

"Who?"

"The conductor."

"Oh."

"_Anyway_, you are to wait until Chris and Heavyn can take you back to your seat, okay? I'll have to return to my post as soon as I feel you're safe. Agreed?"

Nodding, Daryl quickly agreed to his conditions. As one, the two started to march towards where they had last seen the light of Chris' lantern. Soon enough, they once again caught the warm glow. When they got closer, however, Sora's eyebrows furrowed. That wasn't the light of a lantern… suddenly, however, he could hear some sort of musical instrument being played.

"What the…" he muttered as he moved in front of Daryl. He wasn't going to take any chances in case this was a Heartless or Unversed. When the two of them arrived at the source of the light, Sora was surprised to see it was a bum playing some sort of string instrument while cooking a pot of something on the fire. Taking a cursory sniff, he realized that there was coffee in that pot (and not the good kind, either).

Suddenly, the bum stopped playing and looked at them. "Is there something I can do for you two?" he asked, his voice very gravelly.

"I'm… uh, _we're_ looking for a girl," Daryl replied as he stepped around Sora.

The bum immediately burst out in laughter. "Ain't we all?" he managed to get out, before bursting out into another round of laughter.

Undeterred, Daryl continued, "I have her ticket." As he said this, he held up the ticket that had caused so much trouble.

His laughter stopping immediately upon seeing the ticket, the bum immediately pushed his instrument towards the side. "Well, lookie here… what's this?" Grabbing the ticket out of the boy's hand and inspecting it, he continued with amazement filling his voice, "This is an official, authentic, genuine ticket to ride." Looking back up at Daryl, he finished, "You better keep this in a safe place, young man."

As the bum handed the ticket back to Daryl, Sora's eyes slightly narrowed. There was something rather… odd about this man.

When Daryl went to put Nona's ticket into the pocket of his robe, the bum stopped him. "If I was you, I'd keep all my valuables right here," he recommended as he lifted up his right foot. Grabbing it, he continued, "Right here in the old size thirteen. Experience shows this is the safest place."

Sora was slightly tempted to refute this, but then again not everyone had magically reinforced pockets like Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather had given him. Instead, he put that piece of advice into his mind. You never know, after all, when you'll need information like that. However…

"Where's your ticket?" he demanded as he saw Daryl placing Nona's ticket into his slipper out of the corner of his eye.

"Eh, I don't have much use for those," answered the bum. "I hop aboard this rattler any time I feels like it. I own this train."

"Really," Sora drawled, disbelief filling his voice. Okay, this bum was officially put into the crazy category.

The bum smirked as he replied, "Oh, yeah, it's like I'm the king of this train. Yeah… the king of the Pol Ex. In fact, I am the king of the North Pole!"

Obviously sharing Sora's camp, Daryl rebutted, "What about Santa?"

"Eh?"

"Isn't he the king of the North Pole?"

A calculating look filled the bum's face upon hearing this. "You mean this guy?" he asked, pulling something out of his jacket. That something was revealed to be a worn Santa hat, which he placed upon his head. The bum then promptly acted like a robotic Santa (complete with sound effects), which creeped Sora out _just_ a little bit. After about thirty seconds of this, the bum took the Santa hat off of his head as he inquired, "What, exactly, is your persuasion on the big man?"

Shrugging, Sora answered, "I know he's real."

Nodding slightly, the bum then turned to Daryl. "What about you, kid?"

Daryl looked uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot. Finally, he responded, "Well I… I _want_ to believe, but—"

"But you don't want to be bamboozled," interrupted the bum with a knowing gleam in his eye (which made Sora wonder if he really was as crazy as he had appeared earlier… he had to ask Heavyn what she knew about this guy). "You don't want to be led down the primrose path. You don't want to be conned, duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes. Shall I continue?"

Daryl looked down at his feet, as if ashamed. Then, "Heavyn told me that if I rode this train, then I would finally find out for sure one way or the other. I made the choice to find out, and I'm… I'm going to stick to it!"

"Heavyn? Who's Heavyn?" inquired the bum, curiosity filling his face.

"A companion of mine," answered Sora. The bum studied him for a minute, then suddenly dumped his pot of coffee onto his little fire.

"Well, then let's go find that girl!" he announced as he picked up what were probably all of his worldly belongings. As he started to make his way towards the front of the train, the bum paused. "One other thing…" he began, turning the upper half of his body back towards Sora and Daryl. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

"No," Daryl answered.

A thoughtful looked filled the bums face as he uttered, "Interesting…" He then turned towards Sora. "What about you?"

"I've met quite a few ghosts and other various ghoulies, actually," replied Sora, a smile filling his face as he recalled his various adventures in Halloween Town.

Daryl gave Sora an odd look as the bum laughed. "Well, then you two wait right here- I need to grab something." With that, he walked away leaving the boy and the teen to await his return.


	3. Chapter 3

*I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Polar Express, or any of their characters.

* * *

><p>"Have you <em>really<em> met ghosts?" asked Daryl skeptically.

Turning his head towards the boy, Sora nodded, "Of course! There was Zero..."

"Zero? What kind of name is that for a ghost?"

Smirking at the fond memories as he faced the front of the train once more, Sora replied, "The ghost of a dog."

"Your dog?"

"Nope."

His face showing his curiosity, Daryl inquired, "Then whose dog was he?"

Before Sora could answer, however, a light reappeared where the bum had vanished into the snow. "Heeey! Are you two still there?" came the bum's voice.

"Yeah, we're still here!" Sora shouted back, waving his right arm.

As the light grew closer, the two boys noticed that it was moving rather oddly. A couple of seconds later, it was apparent as to why- the bum had somehow acquired a pair of skis and was trudging through the snow with them already attached to his feet. Daryl and Sora shared a confused look.

"Uh…" Daryl began, however the bum cut him off.

Somehow managing to turn around, the bum ordered, "Come on, kid. Flip my shoulders." Reaching out a hand, he added, "Grab my lily." As Daryl did grabbed the bum's hand and climbed onto his shoulders, the bum then turned to Sora. "You got a way of keeping up with me?" he inquired.

Smiling, Sora activated the ability he had gained during his Mark of Mastery exam (he never could remember what it was called… he knew that it was flow-something, though) as he replied, "Don't worry about me. So, where're we headed?"

"Whoa," came the faint sound of Daryl's voice as his jaw dropped, which made Sora almost laugh as he recalled the first time Heavyn had seen it (which was actually the second time he and Riku had activated it in her presence- the first time she had her eyes closed tightly, in order to not see the ground rushing toward them as they surfed down the roof of Notre Dame).

Giving Sora an admiring look, the bum answered, "We gotta hightail it to the hog, pronto."

"The hog?" asked Daryl.

Looking back up at him, the bum responded, "The engine, you tenderfoot." As he started to trudge forward, he continued, "We gotta make the engine before we hit Flat Top Tunnel."

Returning back to normal (seeing as how trudging through the snow wasn't very fast) Sora walked beside the other two. "How come?"

"So many questions," the bum muttered with a soft exasperation. "There is but one inch of clearance between the roof of this rattler, and the roof of Flat Top Tunnel," he explained.

Sora felt his face paling. Quickly connecting to the X-blade and Heavyn, he thought with panic filling his mental voice, "Heavyn, is it true that Flat Top Tunnel is only an inch taller than the train?!"

"Oh, so you're with the bum now, huh?" came Heavyn's amused reply.

Feeling one of his eyes twitching, Sora shot back, "Yes. Now, is it true?"

"Not only that, but the edge surrounding the entrance to Flat Top Tunnel looks like a demonic creature that's about to eat you with the way the icicles are hanging down," came the dreaded confirmation.

If his face got any paler, Sora was sure that he'd resemble one of the many ghosts in Halloween Town. While he as a Keyblade Master could survive many things, slamming into the roof of a tunnel at the speed of a moving train _definitely_ wasn't one of them.

As if sensing his panic (come to think of it, she probably was), Heavyn's voice reassured, "Don't worry Sora, trust the bum on this. He knows what to do."

"If you say so," Sora responded as the train started to move uphill.

"I do say so," Heavyn retorted. "Besides, if what I suspect is correct, then he's done this before."

Sending his acknowledgement of that fact, Sora cut the connection as the bum and Daryl started to slide backward. Taking a careful step towards the side in order to get out of their way, the Keyblade Master prepared himself for anything.

It was a good thing he did, too, for as soon as the bum reached the very end of the train Daryl promptly fell off his back. Sora activated the special ability he had displayed earlier and grabbed him before he could fall off. The bum gestured, and Sora (understanding what he had wanted done) placed Daryl in front of him while making sure that each of his feet was on a ski.

As one, all three males prepared themselves as the car they were on finally angled downward. Despite the danger that awaited them, Sora couldn't help thinking that rushing down towards the front of the train while jumping from car to car was kinda fun.

"Alright, there's only one trick to this," the bum finally shouted over the noise of the train as the dreaded Flat Top Tunnel finally came into sight (and boy, was Heavyn correct in saying that it looked like a demonic creature). "When I say 'jump'…"

Sora instantly knew what was going to happen next as he saw the car containing coal coming up, and prepared himself.

"… you JUMP!" the bum finished, throwing Daryl off of his skis. At Daryl yelled with surprise and a touch of fear, Sora jumped and grabbed onto one of his flailing hands. Together, they landed amongst the coal as everything was thrust into darkness.

When they finally stopped sliding, the two found themselves in the engine room with an amused Riku and Nona looking on.

* * *

><p>Riku almost laughed at the sight of Sora's frazzled expression. Obviously, he had a tough time trying to deal with someone who was like him in a lot of ways… this was only more pronounced as he continued to lay amongst the coal while Daryl managed to get himself out.<p>

As Daryl and Nona started talking (well, more like Daryl interrogating Nona), Riku walked over to his best friend and offered a helping hand. Taking it, Sora grumbled something that involved crazy old bums.

Hearing this, Riku couldn't help himself. "Have fun up there?"

If looks could kill, then the silverette would've been dying a painful death if Sora's glare was any indication.

"Remind me NEVER to do that again," Sora vowed.

Laughing, Riku responded, "Well, I honestly can't promise that, Sora, with your tendency to dive in head-first into things…"

"It's true!" the X-blade piped up through the mental connection, sticking its own two-cents in.

"Shut up, both of you," muttered Sora. "Riku, can I count on you to keep an eye on Daryl so I can get back to my duties?" he asked in a normal voice, ignoring the X-blade's snickering.

Grinning, Riku quipped, "I can keep an eye on you, can't I?"

Other than giving his best friend a flat look, the spiky-haired Keyblade Master didn't respond to the quip. "Daryl," he called out, drawing the two children's attention, "since I know you'll be safe with Riku, I'm going to be heading back to the passenger cars. Will you promise me that you'll listen to what Riku tells you to do?"

"I promise," Daryl responded, nodding.

At this, Sora smiled a half-smile. "Alright then, I'll see you later." With this, he left the engine car. As he did so, Riku studied the boy who (according to Heavyn) was the star of this particular story. Sure enough, there were all the signs that Daryl was _just_ like Sora…

"Hey, where's Heavyn? Wasn't she with you?" inquired said boy, interrupting Riku's musings.

"She's with the conductor," replied Nona. Suddenly, a loud caterwauling filled the air.

"Oh, boy… the engineer must be pulling his assistant's beard again," remarked Riku.

Daryl looked at him as he curiously asked, "Where are they?"

"They're at the front of the train fixing the light," answered Nona.

"Oh."

An awkwardness filled the engine room then. It was only broken when Nona turned towards Riku and asked, "Is it alright if I show Daryl around here?"

Considering this for a moment, Riku then nodded. "As long as you don't mess with the important functions, I don't see why not."

As the two children gave him a big smile and scampered towards the various switches and levers, Riku connected with the X-blade and its Wielder.

"What's up?" came Heavyn's voice.

Figuring it was easier to just go for the blunt route, Riku asked, "Heavyn, did anything significant happen when Daryl and Nona were in the engine?"

"Oh, crap… well, Chris and I are headed up in that direction anyway, so I'll be there shortly. In the meantime, be prepared for an almost panic attack from Nona."

"Why would she do that?"

"You'll see in a couple of seconds. Signing off now!"

"Heavyn!" Riku called through the link, however he had already been disconnected.

"…. ain!" came a disembodied voice.

"Who was that?" inquired Daryl.

Shrugging, Nona answered, "Maybe it was the engineer…"

All three of them walked towards the window closest to the front of the train.

This time the engineer's voice was clearer, however his message was a disturbing one. "Stop the train!"

"Uh-oh," muttered Riku. Turning towards Nona, he quickly asked, "You want to do it, or would you rather I did it?"

"I got it!" came the answer as she bounded towards the brake.

When she put her hands on the brake, however, Daryl interrupted, "Are you sure that's the brake?"

"Yes!"

"What about that red lever that looks like the brake?"

"No, that's not it, _this_ is the brake," Nona insisted.

"Are you sure?"

As Nona's face began to fill with doubt at this question, Riku unobtrusively reached for the brake. When she sat back down and put her face in her hands, Riku realized that she had let that doubt confuse her knowledge. Giving Daryl a look that was half chiding and half smart-aleck, he tugged the correct lever.

The train began to quickly slow down, jerking the trio forward. Distantly, they could hear the engineer's assistant once again yelling loud enough to wake the dead. When the Polar Express fully stopped, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, now that the train's stopped, you wouldn't happen to know _why_, would you Heavyn?" he remarked.

Amusement was transmitted freely through the X-blade's connection as Heavyn sing-songed, "Wait and see! I have to say, though, it's a real doozy."

"Oh, joy," he couldn't help but mutter aloud.


	4. Chapter 4

*I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Polar Express, or any of their characters. I also don't own 'The Most Wonderful Day of the Year' by Burl Ives.

* * *

><p>Well. Heavyn <em>had<em> said that what was to come would be a doozy, but Riku could admit to himself that he hadn't quite expected this.

"There can be no Christmas without the Polar Express arriving on time!" As Chris' rant got louder the closer he came to the front of the train, Riku blinked with disbelief at the obstacle that prevented the train from moving forward. "Am I the only one who understands that?!" the rant continued.

"Heavyn?" he thought, as the particular reindeer he was staring at glanced over towards him.

"Yes, Riku?"

"_When_, exactly, are you and Chris getting up here, again?"

Amusement filled her voice as she answered, "In three… two… one…"

"Caribou crossing?!" Chris' voice carried disbelief, however from the Keyblade Master's quick glance towards the conductor as his head poked out of the side window Riku suspected it was more of an irritated disbelief than his own surprised disbelief.

The engineer, dutifully, began to report, "I make that herd to be at least a hundred thousand, maybe even a million. It's going to be _hours_ before they clear this track." As his assistant chimed in with his own comments, Riku used his experience fighting hordes of Heartless to determine that the herd was closer to the hundred thousand mark than the million.

Still, though, that was a lot of deer.

When Chris and Heavyn (along with Daryl and Nona) made it to where they were, Riku glanced over at his friend. "A doozy, huh?"

Mustering up an innocent look, Heavyn replied, "Well, you never expected it, did you?" As he returned her innocent look with a flat one, she conceded, "Alright, alright, hang on a tic…"

Surprising Riku, the ravenette walked over to the engineer's assistant. Quietly grabbing a hold of his long red beard, she suddenly yanked it down hard enough for the poor man to wail with pain. As Chris and several others were about to remonstrate her for it, suddenly one of the caribou bellowed back. Hearing the sound, Riku was surprised to hear that it was more musical than he thought any kind of deer could pull off… although, that could've been to his lack of interaction with _any_ kind of deer.

For a couple of seconds, Heavyn (using the assistant's beard and the resulting wails) and the caribou continued this strange interaction as everyone else's head bounced back and forth between the two. Then, to everyone's amazement, the entire herd started to part enough that the railroad tracks were clear enough for them to travel safely.

"And _that_, folks, is how you do it," Heavyn cheekily announced as she let go of the beard she had been abusing.

Nodding his approval, Chris commented, "Problem solved." Turning his head towards the engineer, he ordered while using right arm to help demonstrate, "All ahead, _slow_."

As the engineer saluted and he and his assistant ran back towards the engine, Riku and the kids turned toward their friend. "Did you _really_ have to pull on his beard?" Nona scolded.

"I did, Nona," Heavyn answered seriously. "Otherwise, we would've had to wait hours for a lucky shot that could've ended badly for us and several of the herd."

Daryl, meanwhile, looked suspicious. "Really," he drawled, "and how did you that pulling on his beard was the right thing to do?"

Smirking, Heavyn leaned forward until her mouth was right next to the boy's ear. Only Riku's proximity to Daryl enabled him to hear the whispered, "The same way I know about the bum and the fact that you managed to find Nona's ticket."

A silver eyebrow raised as Daryl stepped back from her with surprise filling his young face. "And how did you _really_ know how to pull the beard?" Riku asked silently as the train blew its whistle.

"Chris and Daryl, actually," came the answering thought while the engine finally started to move forward. "In the movie, Daryl pulled the beard on accident, then once he noticed that the caribou responded Chris would continue pulling until the herd parted."

"... O-kay then." Having said his piece, Riku turned to watch the track ahead. For a few moments, things seemed to be going well. Soon enough, though, it became obvious that something wasn't quite right.

"We're going pretty fast," commented Daryl, a touch of nervousness filling his voice.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Chris turned towards Riku and Nona as he ordered, "Tell the engineer to slow down."

The two of them nodded in acknowledgement, then rushed towards the side of the engine that contained the walkway. Picking her up, Riku placed Nona on the safest spot he could find.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, the little girl shouted, "Hey! Slow it down!"

"Watch the speed!" the silverette added, leaning slightly towards the right and cupping his own hands around his mouth. Seeing movement in the tiny window that faced the front of the train, his eyes narrowed as they registered the engineer struggling with one of the levers.

A whisper of dread escaped his lips before he could think to stop it. Luckily, however, the roar of the increasing wind covered it enough that Nona didn't hear.

Leaning backwards and looking towards the three remaining up front, he gave Chris a knowing look as he reported, "They can't hear us." Breathing a sigh of relief as Chris inclined his head to acknowledge what he didn't want to say in front of the kids, Riku helped Nona get back to the front of the train.

"Heavyn, _please_ tell me we aren't about to go into a dangerous situation," he half-pled.

"Well, you know the biggest, steepest roller-coaster you can think of?" she replied as Chris started to secure the two kids as safely as he could while explaining the dangers of Glacier Gulch.

"Yeeahh…"

"What's about to happen is going to be _way_ more extreme, so you might want to hold on to something!" she finished as she wrapped her arms around the safety bar.

Jaw dropping in disbelief, Riku nonetheless wrapped his own arms around the safety bar as the warning signs began to fly by. "Great," he muttered sarcastically, before all five of those trapped on the front of the train began screaming.

* * *

><p>"WHOA!" Sora cried out as the car he was in suddenly shifted violently towards the right. All around him, kids shrieked in the weird combination of surprise, fright, and excitement that people seem to lose once they grew up.<p>

As he tried to stabilize himself, he quickly used the X-blade's bond to all but shout, "Riku, Heavyn, what's going on?!"

"Ice has frozen over the tracks!" came Riku's terrifying answer.

Heavyn's answer, while slightly more reassuring, was just as difficult to swallow. "We'll slow down enough to travel safely across soon, however you need to keep the kids calm, Sora!"

"And how am I to do that?! The know-it-all kid is already demanding to know what's happening!"

A second of silence filled the bond for a moment, then, "Tell them that the Glacier Gulch section of the trip is designed to be exactly like a roller coaster. That way, then hopefully they'll be having too much fun to be scared!"

"What about any kids that have taken the Polar Express before?"

"Then tell them this is a new feature!"

Blinking, Sora couldn't think of anything to counter that argument. Whistling to grab the kids' attention, he proceeded to follow Heavyn's instructions while praying that her idea would work.

* * *

><p>As she curled around poor Billy to shield him from injury, Kairi struggled to secure the two of them enough that they weren't bouncing around the caboose.<p>

"Heavyn, _please_ tell me that this train's going to stabilize soon!" she thought with desperation.

The X-blade, surprisingly, was the one to reply, "From what she's shared with me, it will!"

"X-blade, why are you replying instead of Heavyn?"

"… do I have to answer?"

"Oh, because _that_ response is reassuring," she retorted sarcastically, worry for her friends beginning to leach through.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at the front of the train Riku and Daryl were having a tough time trying to keep everybody safe. One moment, the five of them had been worriedly watching the scene ahead of them, the next moment the engine suddenly rocked then began to tip over causing both Nona and Heavyn to suddenly start flying.<p>

Riku had immediately grabbed Heavyn while Chris grabbed Nona. However, while Riku had managed to keep one hand on the safety bar, Chris had been more focused on grabbing his charge, causing him to unknowingly slip. Daryl had grabbed the conductor's coat to try and help, however the combined weight of Chris and Nona weren't enough for the poor boy to stop them.

"Heavyn, grab Nona!" Riku shouted, gripping her left hand for dear life while leaning over as much as he safely could.

"Got it!" she shouted back as she extended her right hand as far as she could.

The two from another world worked together to try and save Nona, with Riku swinging Heavyn towards the little girl while Heavyn used her free hand to try and grab her. As they were on their second try (the first having just barely touched Nona's clothes), suddenly the Master of the two noticed a hand reaching out right next to him. Quickly looking over, Riku blinked with surprise at the sight of a stereotypical hobo grabbing on to Daryl. Seemingly sensing his attention, the bum quickly looked over and winked then turned back towards Daryl, who had by now noticed the one who was preventing _him_ from flying off.

While the bum placed his forefinger on his lips in the universal sign for quiet, Riku turned his attention back towards his friend.

"One… two… THREE!" the Keyblade Wielders shouted. As Riku swung her as far as he could, Heavyn shouted with triumph as she finally managed to grab Nona's arm. Using her own strength, Heavyn managed to push Nona up enough so that Chris could finally get a decent grip on her. As one, the group managed to finally get Nona back on the engine safely… well, as safely as one could be on an out of control train, anyway.

Riku and Daryl turned to thank the bum for his help, however to their surprise the man seemed to have disappeared in a wisp of snow.

His mouth dropping open slightly with surprise, Riku stared in silence for a few seconds. While Chris thanked Daryl for his help, Riku pulled Heavyn in as he inquired silently, "Heavyn… did I really just see a bum holding on to Daryl?"

"You saw him?! Dangit, I wanted to see him!" Heavyn replied as a pout filled her face.

"Why did you want to se—WHOA!" Riku suddenly shouted as the engine suddenly shifted towards the right. While everyone dived for the safety bar, they watched as the train turned itself around to the point where they were now facing the opposite direction. As suddenly as it started, however, the train finally stopped.

After a little bit of rushing from one side to the other as the engine rocked, the five of them finally breathed a sigh of relief once the engine finally stopped moving.

"Well, that is more like it," Chris stated as he straightened himself out. Quickly rushing to the top of the engine with the other four following like little ducklings, he pulled open the hatch as he demanded, "What in the name of Mike?"

Before anyone could answer, however, there was an ominous crack.

"Look!" Daryl cried out as he pointed in the direction they had come from.

As the ice began to shatter in a violent way, Riku couldn't help himself as he shouted, "Are you KIDDING ME?!"

* * *

><p>"Miss Kairi? Are you sure everything's going to be alright?" Billy inquired while the train turned around once more.<p>

Looking over his head, Kairi's eyes widened as she saw the exploding ice traveling towards them.

"Heavyn, WHY is the ice breaking?!" she thought, panic filling her voice.

A minute amount of relief came to her as this time Heavyn answered instead of the X-blade. More relief came with the response, "It's going to be okay, Kairi! We're finally getting the train under control enough to be ahead of the ice, just make sure Billy doesn't see it!"

Sending acknowledgement, Kairi answered Billy's question, "Everything will be fine soon, Billy." Thinking fast, she soon noticed a tell-tale squirm that gave her the perfect excuse to get him away from the ice. "Do you gotta go?"

When he nodded, Kairi gestured for him to follow her, and together the two headed towards the bathroom (which was luckily in the car ahead of them).

* * *

><p>The way that Riku had all but kicked them out of the engine once they had finally gotten back on track was still making the X-blade giggle. It didn't help that Heavyn found it just as funny, thus leading the two to feed off of each other while they traveled back with the other three towards the passenger part of the train.<p>

Heavyn became silent, however, when the four of them arrived at the car filled with old toys.

Holding his lantern aloft, Chris solemnly announced, "The forsaken and the abandoned." As he gently told the two children to watch their step and gave them the explanation on how the toys were going to be recycled, Heavyn was irresistibly reminded of another sad group of toys.

"_We're on the Island of Misfit Toys, here we don't want to stay…_" she sang quietly as a finger trailed over a dirty teddy bear with a missing eye and stuffing coming out of a seam in his leg.

Unbeknownst to her, while Nona and Chris had gone ahead Daryl had heard her song and had stopped to listen. Tugging on her sleeve, he questioned, "What was that?"

Starting slightly with surprise, she quickly removed her finger as she countered, "What was what?"

"That song you were singing," Daryl elaborated.

Shrugging slightly, Heavyn answered, "These toys reminded me of a song from my childhood, that's all."

"Oh."

When the silence threatened to become awkward, Heavyn gently pushed Daryl forward as she said, "Let's get back to the others." Remembering what was to happen next, after two steps she purposefully got her foot stuck in a loop created by a broken puppet's string.

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up," she reassured the boy when he offered to help her. Bending down, she quickly got her foot back out and waited until Daryl met up with the bum-controlled Scrooge puppet. As she listened to the speech, she quickly glanced up to finally see the bum who held the answer to her long-held question.

When Daryl was just about to run with fright, she decided it was time for her to intervene and bumped the puppet on the head. "Enough of that," she chided, then turned back toward the poor boy. Laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she reminded him, "Remember what I promised you, right?"

Breathing heavily, Daryl nonetheless made a commendable to reign in his fear as he answered, "That by the end of this train ride I'll know for sure whether or not he's real?"

"That's right," she confirmed. Patting his shoulder, she suggested, "Why don't you go on ahead while I deal with this naughty toy? If the conductor asks, just tell him I'm checking something out."

"Okay," Daryl agreed, and all but ran out of the cart. Once he was gone, Heavyn looked up to see the bum looking at her with curiosity.

Letting go of the toy, the ghost crossed his arms on the edge of the window as he commented, "Well, I haven't seen _you _on the Pol-Ex before. You wouldn't by chance be with the spiky-haired fellow, would you?"

Nodding, Heavyn answered, "My friends and I are helping to guard the train from those that might threaten the kids." As he nodded in understanding, she continued, "However, I _do_ want to ask you something."

"Oh? What do you want to know?"

Excitement building in her, she finally was able to ask the question that had bugged her since the very first time she saw the movie. "Just which Christmas spirit _are_ you?"

Chuckling, he countered, "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

Swaying his head slightly to the right, the bum continued to chuckle as he agreed, "Alright, if you insist… let's just say that my impression of Scrooge was based on personal experience."

Blinking, Heavyn blurted out, "Wait, you've _met_ Ebenezer Scrooge?!" Thinking quickly of her knowledge of the four spirits that showed up in the famous Dickens tale, she was able to rule out Marley's ghost fairly quickly. The bum certainly didn't look like all of the similar adaptations of the Ghost of Christmas Present, so that one was ruled out as well. Finally, she guessed, "Christmas Past?"

"Nope."

Her jaw dropped. "You're joking. There's no way _you're_ the super-creepy Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come!"

Roaring with laughter at her response, the bum turned away to seemingly pull something out. Soon, his right hand emerged into the opening with a recognizable cloth in his hand.

"Holy Christmas, you ARE him!" Heavyn yelped as she stared with shock at the iconic black cloak with mist clinging to its edges clutched in his hand. "But why are you so different now?"

Wiping away the tears of laughter, the Ghost put away his cloak as he explained, "You see, while I have to be creepy for my job, that gets boring after a while. So, whenever I don't have to work, I tend to hop on the old Pol-Ex. That way, I'm able to do whatever I want, whether it's helping someone out, or scaring the doubters into believing."

Blinking, Heavyn admitted, "That… makes perfect sense." Shaking her head to rid herself of the shock, she looked back up as she said, "Thanks for telling me the truth. I've wanted to know the answer to that question for a long time now."

"No problem, kid," the Ghost responded. As he pointed towards the door and ordered in a gravely important voice, "Now go, and return to your duties," the hand he used to point with turned into the spectral one that once again proved his identity.

Chuckling, Heavyn waved good-bye and followed his order.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, now that all of the chapters that are on dA have been posted, a few things-

1. The bum's identity was something I had planned since I first started this story. I figured it was a nice, funny twist. However, it is definitely NOT canon, so please no lambasting me about that fact!

2. All of the Polar Express characters' names (with the exception of Chris- who was named after the author of the original story- and Billy) are all the same as their voice actors. How did I get that info? Wikipedia, of course!

Anyway, I hope you all have a Happy Holiday! The next chapter, if I don't work on it this year, will be posted during the next Christmas season, so please don't bug me to post it until then!


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